Residents in parts of Camagüey have been plunged into darkness for nearly a week due to transformer failures, with some being told they might have to endure up to 20 days without electricity before service is restored.
Independent journalist Jose Luis Tan Estrada highlighted the plight of residents on 3rd Street, between 1st and 2nd, in the Salomé Viejo neighborhood, who have been without power for six days after a local transformer burned out.
When electrical company workers visited the area, they confirmed the transformer was indeed burned out but offered no immediate remedy, promising instead a wait of 15 to 20 days, according to Tan Estrada's report on Sunday.
Transformer Explosions Add to the Woes
A similar scenario unfolds in the Montejo neighborhood near the Caramelera, where a transformer explosion occurred five days ago, yet no repairs or replacements have been made, as reported on Saturday.
This issue is not isolated to just these neighborhoods. In early August, writer and journalist María Antonia Borroto Trujillo pointed out that another Camagüey neighborhood endured over 10 days of blackout due to a faulty transformer that repeatedly failed upon reconnection attempts. It took authorities five days to decide on replacing it with a more capable unit.
“Are we meant to stay in the dark forever? Is that the plan? Are there no alternatives? Do we matter to anyone?” Borroto publicly questioned in frustration over the lack of official response.
Systemic Issues and Limited Resources
The root of the problem stems from a structural deficiency. In June, the Unión Eléctrica admitted there is a shortage of replacement transformers across all provinces, with national production distributed among workshops in Havana, Santa Clara, and Manzanillo yielding only about 70 units daily—far from meeting the accumulated demand.
Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, acknowledged to the National Assembly in late July that the theft of dielectric oil exacerbates the crisis. "The amount of oil stolen from us almost matches what we produce during the same period," he stated.
He also revealed that some communities have been left without electricity for as long as 105 days due to damage to older voltage transformers, which are challenging to procure in the international market.
Power Crisis Extends Beyond Camagüey
This crisis is not confined to Camagüey. In Calabazar, a district in Havana's Boyeros municipality, a transformer exploded recently following a botched repair, and the Electric Company has yet to address the issue.
In Havana, where an average of 25 transformers are damaged daily, three women stayed up until 3:30 a.m. to stop Electric Company workers from removing their neighborhood's transformer in Guanabacoa, following an earlier attempt to take it without a justified order.
Additionally, Camagüey's situation is worsened by the ongoing maintenance of Unit 5 at the Diez de Octubre thermoelectric plant in Nuevitas throughout August, which has further reduced the province's generating capacity, resulting in a deficit ranging between 128 and 133 MW, according to daily reports.
Understanding Cuba's Power Shortage Crisis
Why are Camagüey residents experiencing prolonged power outages?
Residents in Camagüey are facing extended power outages due to transformer failures and a lack of immediate replacements, compounded by a nationwide shortage of spare transformers.
What is causing the transformer shortage in Cuba?
The shortage is largely due to limited national production capacity, theft of essential materials like dielectric oil, and difficulties in acquiring older voltage transformers from the international market.
How is the power crisis impacting other regions in Cuba?
Similar power issues are affecting other areas, such as Havana, where frequent transformer explosions and inadequate repairs exacerbate the situation, leaving many communities without electricity.